Susan Burns

Biography

Susan is Director of Finance for Change, a project of Global Footprint Network. As co-founder and CEO of Global Footprint Network, she built the organization into one of the leading scientific organizations in the world addressing global ecological limits. Susan now advises investors and credit rating agencies on environmental risk and has collaborated with more than 30 financial institutions in groundbreaking research on topics ranging from food price shocks to climate change.
She is also a Senior Fellow with Future 500, a non-profit consultancy that builds trust between corporations and activists to advance business as a force for good. She was also formerly a Special Advisor to the Poverty Stoplight, a mobile technology that empowers families to move out of poverty by making them the architects of their own living conditions.
Prior to launching Global Footprint Network, Susan founded the pioneering environmental sustainability consulting firm Natural Strategies, advising multinational companies on sustainability as a source of competitive advantage. Susan led the development of the screening methodology for Portfolio 21, the US’s first mutual fund dedicated to environmental sustainability.
In 2007 Susan, along with Global Footprint Network co-founder Mathis Wackernagel, won the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. In 2012 John Elkington, a world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development, identified Susan among the “Zeronaut 50” Roll of Honor, i.e., leading pioneers who are driving the world’s most significant problems to zero. Susan and Mathis are 2014 ISSP Sustainability Hall of Fame Inductees. Susan also a vocalist and member of the Oakland Interfaith Community Choir, and CASA: a “court-appointed special advocate for foster children.